Electric flasher.



D. D. SWEM. ELECTRIC FLASHEB. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27, 198. 933, 1 37, Patentea sept. 7, 1909.

I I I I. I I l I I. I I I 1 I I l I l I I I B SHETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

' D. D. SWEM. ELECTRIC PLASHER.

APPLIOATION Hmm JUNB 27.1908.

ArrofiA/EY D. D. SWEM. ELEoTRm PLASHER. APPLICATION I'ILD JUNE 27, 1908. 933 1 37, Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

6 SHEETS-SHET 3.

D. D. SWBM.

ELECTRIC PLASHEB.

APPLIOATION PILBD Jun 27,1908.

Patellted Sept. 7, 1909. e sHnn'rs-sxnm 4.

/zvvE/vrof? Q a. MM, 3 W/WW D. D. SWEM.

BLEcTmo FLASHER.

APPLICATION I'ILD JUN 27,1908. 933, 1 37, w Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

Wim/56658.' v /zwf/Wa/P MUW/WW 1612' ;W57 Wwwm rmR/vfy D. D. SWEM. ELECTRIC FLASHEB. APPLIoATIoN PILD JUN 27,1908.

Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

ATM/mln' DANIEL 2D. WEM, 07.5' CHCAGQ, ILINIS.

ELECTRIC FASHER.

Spacincet'lon of etters Patent.

Patented Sept. '3, films).

Application filed June 27, :1903. Serial I'o. 440,716.

'o .all whom it may concemf Be. it known that l, DANiEL'ID; Swnin, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of ('hicng'o, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, hnveinventcd certain new and useful lmprovements in Electric llsshers, of'which the following, when taken 'in connection with lthe drawings accompsnying and forming a part hereof, is s full end complete description, suiiicient to enable those skilled in the art to which it pertsins to understand, make, Vand use the same.

This invention relates to iniprovements in the class or kind of electric distribution machines known as electric flashers and used princi'pally to cause alternnte energizing and denergizing of electric light circuits, et prcdeterinined intervels.

One of the objects of this invention is to obtain a device in the operation whereof the inovable switch lever is niechanically pelled into .and out of circuit ciosing position and is at all times in gear to insure positive pre'deterniined nioveinent.

Another object of the invention is to obtnin a device of the kind nained which Inny bc i'cadily put. into operation by persons not pziriicularly slrilled in the electrical art, and

which will require but little motive power to operate it.

further object of 'the invention is to 0htnin a device which may bc run nt varying rates of speed, without` fear of 4Gsparlring ;is it is ternicd, when the Circuit. is broken there-by.

A further object of the invention is to iniprove the construction of devices of the charn ectcr nained, to lessen the cost of construction und increase the durability of device.

vln the drnwings refclrred to li have illnstrated, in Figures l, 2 and 8 the construction of n` iasher known as n one pole switclnenibodying the invention, end in Figs. 4: to 7, both inclusive, l have illustrated o. construction known as a two pole switch. AS the principnl difference between such constructions consists in tyingr two of the niovable switch blades of the device together in the two pole switch while in 'the one pole switch a single switch blade is moved into electrical' contact. o with a stotionary member of the switch and all the blades ero ('ususlly) moved out of such contactsimultaneously, parts uppcm'ing in both constrnctions are lettered with the same reference letter.

Fig. '1 is a top plan view of o construction embodying the invention, known as a one pole. switch, or fiasher, with the subbuse thereof removed therefroxn. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of a one pole fiasher with parts of the driving wheel and frame broken away. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the operative parts of the device immediately adje'- centI to one of the standards, showing the bases,`the driving shaft, a pivot and s stop in cross section. Fig. et is a top plan view of u construction enibodying this invent-ion in the forni known as a two pole flnsher. Fig. 5 is n front elevation of Vthe device shown in Fig. i in plan view, with the driving shaft broken' away at one end. Fig. 6 is nn end elevation of the device illustrated in l'ligs. -i and' 5, with the movshle switch lever thereof down. Fig. 7 is :i like end elevation of the device illustratcd in Fi'. 6, on a i'educed scale, With the inovshle switch lerer thereof up. Fig. 8 is a i'nodificst-ion of some of the parts of the device, shown in end elevation. Fig. 9 is a front elevat-ion of the several parts which are illustreted in Fig. 8. lfig. 10 is a side elevotion of nn element. of the construction illust-rated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. And Fig. 11 is a perspective showing the element illustrated in lfig. 10 inA proper relative position with one end of one of the niovable switch levers of the device.

A reference letter applied'to designate a given part is used to indicate such part throughout the several figures of the drawings, wherever the same appears.

I will first describe the construction il'lustrsied in Figs. l, 2, 3, 10 and 11, forining what is known in the trade as a single pole electric tiasher. A is the base, B, B, are standards secnred to base A, and (l is o sub base sccured on standards B, B. Base A end sub base C are. usualy made of slnte, to obtein, non-electric conducting tobles on which the several switches may be secured, insulated from each other.V D, D, are journal bearings in standards B, E is a shaft rotatably niounted in bearings D, D. F is a worm wheel rigidly securcd to shaft E. G, G, the standards B, B. H is a shaft rotatably niounted in behrings G, G. A worin is rigidly inounted on shit-ft H to turn therewith, end arranged to intermesh with the teeth of worin wheel F. The shaft H is are bearings ettuched to one of broken away at the point therein where the worm is attached, in Figs. 1 and 2,' but it is in allrespects similar to worm liv shown m Figs. 4, 5 and 6, and intermeshes with `worm wheel F as there shown., J is a drivin wheel secured on' lshaft .1-1, by means o which such is operated. K,'K, are s ring jaws attached to the under side of sub ase C, forming the stationary members of the several switches of the device. Ja,- k, are binding posts in electrical connection with jaws K. L, L, are

` spring jaws K by to engage with a recess blade L. The blade L is forced into mechanical and electrical connection with the the followin mechanism. Wheels rigid y mount-e on shaft E are connected or j ined by drum Q', and

'such drum is provi ed with the gear teeth a) q q which as shown respectively consist of the head of a bolt\ or set screw), arranged in the about to be described sector U. The drum Q' is provided with cut outor fiattened portions q', g', adjacent/ to the teeth q, q, to permit the Sector to turuwhen such teeth engage with the recess in the Sector. tor, a is the/'recess therein with which tooth g engages: and u', u', are concave faces on Sector U, which substantially correspond with the peripheral face of the drum Q'. ard M. to be inserted between the strips'of metal forming the switch blade L. The lever L when not in contact with spring jaws K, (that is when in the position illustrated in Figs. 3 and 6), is locked in such position b the engagement ofv the eriphery of drum w Fig, (or wheel Q, igs. 4, 5 and 6) with the right hand one of the faces u'; during the time such lever is moving up into engagement with .the jaws K the tooth g isv engaged in recess u; during the time such lever is in contact with jaws K such level' is locked in .place bythe engagement of the eripheryof drum' Q', Fig. 3 (or wheel hand one ofl the faces u', and during the time such lever is moving down from contact 'with the jaws K, the end of lever R (or the pulley R) is in engagement with the abutment W; so that such lever is at' all times engaged or in gear with a device which controls its position.v The switch blade L .is made of two strips of metal, preferably shaft is rotated when the device of engagement with the' U is the sec-i is a recess 1n Sector U, which permits stand- Figs. 4, 5 and 6) with the left' copper, and the sector U is placed between such strips, at' one end of the switch blade, and there secured by the .pins U, U''

To mechanically separate the blades L, L, I

ring Jaws K, K, and at the same from the' s sparking at the instant of such time' avoi separation, levers wheelsQ, Q, on pivots a", 1'; attached to the Wheels Q, Q; and spring- T is attached at one end, (as at t), to the wheel Q- and .at the other end, (as at t'), to the levfer R. j Stops S, .S' limitv the movement of the' lever R, m the operation of the device. SpringT is arranged to -yieldinglyI hold the lev'er against the stop S at which time it is parallel to a radius of such wheel Q8. R' is a roller .on the outer end of lever R; W is `an abutment against which. the roller R' is forced by the rotation of the shaft E in the operation of the machine. X is a bolt forming the pivot of abut'ment W. Bolt X and the several pins or pivots p, p, are in line 4so that the abutment W andthe movable blades L turn around the samefcenter.l Abutment VV is provided With end w, the Curved under side'w', and the end w'f. Y is a uni- -Versal bar secured at its ends to the upper side of the abutments W, W, soas'to extend over the several blades L. g is' a fiattened portion of drum q', to permit the'turning of the sector U in a direction 'contrary to the direction of movement of the hands of a clock.

The rotation of shaft E carries lever R against the end w of abutment W, (or carries the roller 'R' againstsuch abutment): and such lever and roller are held from turning while the pivoted end" of the lever is drawn down by the continued rotation of Wheel Q and pivot 1'. Such roller R' is held by the abutment W until the roller is drawn down on face w, into contact with face w'. The holding of roller R' stationary, as last above R, R, arevmounted on the stops S, S' are` described puts additional `strain on the spring T, as pivot a' continues to rota'te, and roller R'. is thereb)T drawn down into contact with face 'w' of abutment 1W; Stop S' is arranged to force -the end of ylever R on which the roller R" is mounted, forward, as soon as such roller is in contact with 1such face w', and thereb turn the abutment around on its pivot. t such time the spring T .may draw the lever R forward to its initial position, in contact with the stop S, thus turmng the abutment W and the blades L down. The flattened portion g of drum is in proper relative position at the time the blades L are returned, as last above described, to permit the sector U to turn in the same direction the blades and abutment turn, (in the 'direction contrary to the movement of the-hands of a clock); When the blades L are in the position last above described, that is, out of engagement with the sprlng jaws #K, they areJ Soheld by the face V i, Rand pins O',

ocena? w' of sector U which is adjacent to the drum Q', and When such blades are up they are held up by the one of the facesu' which is at such time adj acent to such'drum.

The spring T need not be sufiiciently strong to turn the blades L out of engagement with the jaws K a ainst the friction of such jaws K, as such b ades are ,forced out of en agement with such jaws by the moving o the abutment TV such abutnient is forced around by the roller R' on lever R: the function of such spring being simply to move the blades around on their respective pivots from the instant ceasesf: so as to niove such blades quickly away from the jaws and avoidsparking. ln case the spring T does not complete the inovement of the abutment and of the blades the roller R' will force the completion of the moveinent of such abutment and blades.`

ln Fig. 1 a plurality of levers R are shown, each of such levers ivoted on wheel Q. The operation of one 18 the same as is the operation of the other.

lin a two pole switch embodying this invent-ion two switch blades, L, L, are attached together, 'to form a gang. The two pole switch is illustrated in Figs. 4-., 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, and so far as thelconstruction thereof is a inediication of the hereinbefore described construction, or varies therefrom, it is as follows: Sector U is mounted on shaft U und rigidly attached thereto. The tooth g is attached directly to wheel Q and as many wheels Q are rigidly secured to shaft E as there are gan s of switch blades L. The drum Q3' is nt used. The blades constituting an are joined together at one end by bar'Ngan at the other end by the shaft such bar and shaft, respectively, being made of non-electric conducting material, as rubher, indui'ated fiber, Wood, or the like. The blades T are moved into and out of mechanical and electric connection with the spring jaws K by the turning of the shaft (l, and to rigidly secure such blades and shaft together I have used the angle pieces The pins or pivots j), p, are shown as T construct the same, and extend into the shaft O. Pin U' extends through such pins or pivots p, respectively, to lock them in such shaft ally joined together, by the construction described, while at the same time they are electrically insulated from each other. The abutment W is mounted on the shaft O, and may be (and has by me been constructed) integral with the sector U, in this two pole construction, there being as many of such abutments used as there are gangs of switch blades L. The universal bar Y is, therefore, not required in this two pole construction.

The modification illustrated in Figs; 8

the friction of the jaws K The blades L constituting a gang are mechanic-- and 9 consists simply in having a plurality of teeth g on wheel Q and a correspondmg number of recesses u in sector U. Figs. 8 and 9 are drawn to an enlarged Scale.

ln the two pole construction the flattened portions g' and g of the drum Q' are transferredto the wheels Q, and are there lettered. with the same letters. The recesses q', Fig. 6, perform the same functions as the fiattened portions g', that is, permit the sector U to turn when 'such recesses are in proper relative position to the Sector.

l-laving thus descriloed my invention, what T claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is, z

l. The combination of a knife switch comprising stationary jaws and a movable blade arranged to co-act with the jaws, a sector attached to the blade to turn therewith, such Sector provided with a recess, a rotatable shaft, a gear tooth arranged to engage with the recess on the Sector, such gear tooth arran *ed to be turned in a circle concentric to t e shaft by the rotation of such shaft, a pivotally mounted lever, the pivot whereof is arranged to he turned in a' circle concentrio to the shaft on the rotation of the shaft, stops arranged to limit the movement of the lever on its pivot and a spring arranged to yieldingly hold the lever in position against one of the stops, ment and a connection between the abut-i ment and the switch blade, such lever, abutment and switch blade relatively associated so that the end of the lever is moved into contact with the abutment and such end is held from rotating until the pivot of the lever draws the end thereof under the end w, of the abutment and the remaining stop arranged to force the end of the lever under the abutment and turn such abutment on its pivot, and such spring arranged to return the lever to its initial position as the end of the lever move-s under the abutment; substantially as described;

2. The combination of a base, standards on the base, a sub-base, on the standards, with spring jaws on the subbase, a terminal to the spring jaws, a switch blade arranged to be turned into and out of electrical engageinent with the spring jaws, a terminal on the sub-base to the blade, a shaft rotatably inounted in the standards, a lever, a pirot on which the lever is mounted, such pivot mounted on the shaft to be moved in a Circle by the rotation of the shaft, a stop and a spring, such spring attached to the lever and arranged to yieldingly maintain such lever in contact With the stop and with 'the level' extending radially from the shaft, an abutment, a pivot on which the abutment is mounted and a connection between the abutinent and the blade so that rotation of the abutment 'in one direction moves the blade out from electrical contact with the spring aws, relative y associated so and such lever and abutment thatfrotation of the shaft moves the end of the lever a inst the ahntmentA and such'abntment hol' s the end of the lever until the pivot. of. such .lever moves to draw 'such end nndersnch abutin the direction to move'the 'blade out of contact with the spring jaws; substantialljy'` as described,

3. The combination of spring jaws pro-4 videdwith a terminal, a movable blade provided with a terminal andarranged to co-act with the jaws, 'a' sector provided with 'a recess connected to the movable blade.` to move therewith, a rotatable shaft, a gear tooth connected to the shaft and .arranged to elf- 'gage with the recess on the sector, a lever pivotally moun-ted and connected to theshaft so that rotation of the shaft moves the pivot in4 a4 circle concentric with the shat, means to limit the movement of the lever on its 'pivot, means to yieldingly hold the lever in'l its initial position, va pivotally. mounted abutment and a connection between theabntment and the blade so that movement of the abutmen-t in one direction. on its pivot moves the blade, and such lever and abutment relatively arranged so that rotation of the shatt i carries the end of the lever against the abutment and such lever is held by the abutment to increase the tension of the spring until the pvot of the lever is carried by the rota-.

tion ot' the shatt to bring the end of'the lever to the under side of the abutment, to permit the spring to force the lever to its. initial position and move the abutment on its pivot; substantially as described. A

4. The combination in an electrical fiasher provided with spring jaws andl With. a pivoted blade Varra ed to be moved into and out of contact with the spring^jaws, of

va pivotally mounted abutment, a connection the abutment and the blade, a lever, a rotatable 'shaft, 'a connection betweenthe lever and the shaft, a spri arranged' to yieldingly hold the lever in its initial position and so 'that one end thereof is moved into contact with the abutment by the rotation of the shaft and such end is thereby held to movejthe lever from its initial position between and increase the tension of the s r' able blade, 'such-blade arranged to close the eaaiev.

upon the contmued rotation of the sha until such end isv drawn 'from lthe abutment to permit the return of the lever to its initialA osition `bythe s ring, and such'lever and a utment w v arrange ment, and the movement of the leverlnnderA the abutment turns the abutment on its pivot` so thatthe returnxof the lever to its initial ositionfmoves the abntinent and forces the lade out of engagement with the sprin jaws; substantially as described.

' 5,' movablevabutment provided with an w end and with an inclined underY face, and a switch consisting of spring jaws and a movswitch when forced betwefin the jaws,'1nv

combination with a-pivot arranged to move in, a given path, a lever mounted' on the..V i

pivot, means `to yieldingly hold the lever in a determined position, means to move the pivot along its determined path and bring the lever into contact with the end of the abutment and to continue the movement of the pivot lto bring the lever into contact' with the inclined under face' of the abutment and move such abutment, the movable abutment and the'movable blade 'relatively associated so thatsuch movingv of the abutment forces the blade' out from between the spring ljaws and opensv the switch.

6. A rotatable abutment provided with an end and :with an inclined under face, and a switch consisting of spring jaws and'a movable blade arranged to close lthe switch when 'forced between the jaws, in combination with a rotatable shatt, a pivot arraned to .move inl a circle concentrlc to the shaft on the 'rotation'of the vshaft, a lever mounted on the pivot, means to yieldingly hold the lever in a determined position, and'l means to rotate' the shaft to bring the lever into contact with the end of the abutment and to continue the rotation of the shaft to brin the lever ontolthe inclined under face of snc abutment, and move such abutment and the movable blade and abutment relatively associated so thatsuch moving of the ,abutment forces the blade out from between ;the spring iaws and opens the switch. t

Danish n; s'wnM. ln the presence of- CHARLES TURNER Brown, Com A. ADAMS. 

